The Road to Recovery
by BananaLollypop
Summary: In which Enjolras' voice is the only thing that will satisfay a restless Éponine as she recovers from her incident at the barricade. Part 2 of my 'What if... Enjolnine' series. R&R much appreciated!


**AN: **Aaaannnnndddd I'm back again! I don't think I've ever uploaded so much... well, here is the 2nd installment to the 'What if... Enjolnine' series, and I sincerely hope that you enjoy it. Remember to send me a prompt if you have one!

The prompt for this installment is: What if Éponine was a difficult patient and only Enjolras knew how to deal with her? But I added a bit more in than just that, and so: voila! Enjoy!

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"Éponine, _please_, for the sake of my sanity, _go back to bed_!" Enjolras begged exasperatedly.

"I am perfectly fine," she protested, "I do not need to go back to bed. I _need_ to get up and do something! Do you have any idea how boring it is staring at the same four walls continuously?!"

"Probably about as boring as it is to keep having this argument with you," Enjolras grumbled as Éponine grudgingly let him lead her back to her room. He pulled the covers back for her and she sat down sulkily. It had taken almost a week to persuade Éponine to come and stay with him; she said that if her father found out then he'd be in the firing line. Enjolras said that as long as she was away from her ass of a father, then he didn't care where he was.

Enjolras picked her legs up, laying them on the bed, then pulled the covers over her.

"I feel like a child," she stated grumpily.

"And I suppose that it will not be good for me to say that you are acting like one?" Enjolras looked down on her expectantly.

"It would end in my favour rather than in yours." Éponine agreed.

"Please don't get up again," Enjolras pleaded with her before making his way out the room, "I'm in the next room if you-"

"Apollo," Éponine interrupted him. He stopped and looked round, "Will you sing for me?" he grimaced and sighed, but walked back to the bed. Éponine edged over and he sat down on the bed next to her. Éponine had only been back from the hospital for three days, but she was driving Enjolras up the wall with worry within a few hours. 'Two weeks bed rest at least' the doctor had said. Éponine disagreed, insisting that a week in the hospital had been more than enough.

And so, one night, when Éponine had said that there was very little point in her being bed if she couldn't sleep, Enjolras had sat with her exactly as he was now, and he had sung to her until she slept. It was now becoming a daily occurrence that baffled Enjolras slightly.

"One day I will run out of songs to sing," he commented as she ducked under his arm and leant her head on his chest. He rested his arm on her shoulder, "What will you do then?"

"Request that you sing them all again," she said simply.

And so Enjolras sung, and Éponine smiled contentedly as his voice rang out through the otherwise empty apartment. At some point she must have fallen asleep, as the afternoon had transformed into evening and the sun had almost set when she woke.

She was alone in her room, the covers pulled up to her neck and she could hear a violin playing on the other side of the closed bedroom door. Her thoughts drifted to Enjolras' earlier pleads, and so she got out of bed, ignoring his previous orders, and opened the door to the living room.

Enjolras stood by the window, his red jacket that they both loved so much hanging on the back of a chair. He was playing a rather happy song on the violin, and now that she was closer she could hear him humming along to the tune he was playing.

"You play the violin?" she questioned. Unlike how many others would have, Enjolras did not jump at the sudden sound of Éponine's voice.

"I thought I told you to stay in bed, Athena," he said wearily, laying his violin and his bow on the dining table.

"You didn't answer my question, Apollo." She retorted. She approached him, kissing him lightly on the lips. He smiled; they both knew that it would only attract unwanted attention if they put on any kind of public display of affection, and neither of them, Enjolras especially, was ready for attention of that kind. Not yet anyway. Besides, they weren't even officially a couple. But, in the sanctity of Enjolras' apartment, that wasn't a problem.

"I clearly do play the violin, dearest Éponine," he said, "And you really should be in bed."

"But I'm not," she said, smiling at him, "So I shall compromise and sit on the sofa if you make me supper." Enjolras frowned, but nodded in agreement.

"How can I say no to you, 'Ponine?" he says, stroking her face.

"You can't," she told him, kissing him again before making her way over to the sofa, "How is Marius?" she asked, "How is everyone, in fact? I feel so excluded from the outside world."

"Doctor's orders, Éponine," Enjolras said, smiling slightly, "It is only for another week and a half."

"I'm not sure 'only' can be used in that context," Éponine frowned.

"They are fine," Enjolras told her, "Rebuilding mostly, but living, too. Grantaire has never been so drunk."

"Why am I not surprised?" Éponine chuckled quietly.

"We're letting him off," Enjolras smiled, "We do, after all, have something to celebrate."

"Ah, yes," Éponine smiled as she spoke, "'A New France'. Is it as good as you expected, Apollo?" Enjolras turned away from the stove, leaning on the countertop beside it to face Éponine.

"Better," he says, "So much better. All down to you, my Athena."

"So you keep saying," Éponine rolled her eyes, "So everyone keeps saying in fact. Combeferre and Joly did not hesitate to tell me of your change of character at the barricade, Enjolras, and insisted that it was down to me when they visited me in the hospital."

"Then they would not be lying," Enjolras said quietly.

"Wouldn't they?" Éponine questioned thoughtfully, "Hmm. Interesting."

"Is it, really?" he asked, "You certainly stole my soul, 'Ponine. It would not surprise me if you stole my heart alongside."

"You flatter me," Éponine shook her head, "I didn't do anything, Enjolras." He moved to join her on the sofa, and Éponine shuffled closer to him.

"You underestimate your ability to make people like you, Athena," he murmured, stroking her hair, "I'd go as far to say that it was one of your war strategies, but then I would have to test it and I am not willing to risk losing you."

She reached up and took his hand away from her hair, interlacing their fingers as the man next to her looked down.

"It is very unlike you to be so very sentimental," she said teasingly. That earned her a small smile, "You saved my life, it should be I who is never willing to lose you, not vice versa."

"So you _are_ willing to lose me then?" he asked, though his voice was also teasing.

Éponine punched him gently, "You know that I'd rather die than lose you, Apollo," she said, rolling her eyes. She squeezed his hand, comforting him in a way, reassuring him that she was still with him and would stay that way, "Now, I am sitting on the sofa. Go and hold up your end of the bargain, monsieur. I am starving and supper won't cook itself."

So the two enjoyed a home-cooked supper together, and Enjolras sung Éponine to sleep once more. But, this time, he could not bring himself to leave her sleeping alone in her room, and so he slept next to her, her under the covers and him on top, his arm still wrapped around her waist, her head in his lap, the last words of his song still echoing in their heads as they slept soundly.

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**Reviews are muchly appreciated, so throw me one if you want to make my day! Send me a prompt if you have one, and thank you for reading!**


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